HNQO is one of Brazil’s cherished and most loved producers. A man with a sound that veers towards dancefloor tendencies, his is a palette that’s all about the melodies and the grooves.
HNQO (or Henrique as he is known to friends) is one of the fastest rising young stars in the deep house and indie dance scene. Years of hard work are already behind this young musician, who got his start throwing parties in Curitiba, Brazil. Young people in search of new musical horizons flocked to these gatherings, and eventually some of dance music’s hottest acts found themselves sharing the decks with this ever present, ever humble artist.
Ahead of his latest EP on his own Playperview label, we decided to put a few choice questions his way…
“I think this is a pretty massive time for us and it’s sure to be remembered.”
Music apart, what’s been keeping you on your toes recently?
Honestly, I’ve been very inspired to work lately, so I’m not doing much that’s not music related these days, except hanging out with friends when I’m free.
And musically, what’s keeping you excited right now then?
I’ve recently finished setting up a new place to work. It’s a better studio with some nice gear that’s taking up a lot of my time and keeping me excited.
How do you think this current time in dance music will be looked back on in 20 years time? A good time for music?
It will all depend on how good or how bad it will be in 20 years I think. But if we’re talking about how dance music has reached huge levels of exposure, I think this is a pretty massive time for us and it’s sure to be remembered.
So is most of your day music related then? When did it become a full-time thing for you?
Yes, it’s mostly music related, but I also do some random stuff like going for a movie or having food somewhere. I have friends too, so I meet them sometimes or they come to visit me. The agency responsible for my bookings in Brazil is in my city, so I normally take one day of the week to visit them and talk about a lot of shit and do some work too. It’s pretty fun. The girls are awesome!
Over the past 4 years I think music is the only thing I’m 100% committed to. If not actually doing something, I’m always thinking on what to do, what’s the next move or what would be good for my career.
And what DJs, producers and labels influenced you to make music in the first place?
At that time Poker Flat, Minus and Kompakt were some of the labels I was following. Richie, Trentmøller, John Tejada, Michael Mayer, Sasha Funke, Kerri Chandler, Stimming and a lot more. DJ’s that I always liked were some of these plus Sven Vath, Josh Wink, Villalobos etc.
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